Happy Sunday! We’re having a great weekend over here and I’ll recap it for you tomorrow but for today I wanted to backtrack to last week and cover off on both eats AND workouts.
I can’t remember the last time that I shared a weekly workout recap with you and that’s mostly because there hasn’t been a whole to to them. I am still walking more than anything, running a couple of times a week and struggling to get back into regular strength training workouts and yoga practices. Last week I was able to balance all of it pretty well for the first time in a very long time so here is how it went down.
LAST WEEK’S WORKOUTS
Sunday: 2.6 mile walk with babe and pups, 45-minute full body strength training class
Monday: 4 mile walk with babe and a friend
Tuesday: 2.6 mile walk with babe and pups
Wednesday: 3.1 mile trail run with Zoey
Thursday: power yoga class + 2.7 mile walk with babe and pups, 45-minute full body strength training class
Friday: 2.6 mile walk with babe and pups
Saturday: 4 mile stroller run + 1 mile walk with a friend, 2.5 mile stroller walk with a friend
This was the most movement that I have done in a single week in a long time and I feel really good, energized and not too sore. It’s been so great to get back to running more regularly (even if that’s 1-2x/week) and I’m looking forward to slowly getting back into a more regular yoga and strength routine as my schedule allows.
LAST WEEK’S EATS
As they say, “Life is short. Eat dessert first.” So let’s start with the sweet stuff!
I baked some super delicious oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies last week and couldn’t stop eating them. I need to make another batch this week so that I can share the recipe with you…and have an excuse to eat more. 😉
Warming up a cookie and putting ice cream on top is a new favorite of mine. Bonus when it’s cookies and cream ice cream…double cookie!
I have been baking my favorite granola recipe every two weeks or so. This week I added dried cranberries, golden raisins, chia seeds, hemp hearts and walnuts to the oat base.
I ate white chicken chili for dinner twice last week. I used this recipe from my blog but didn’t use the slow cooker.
I also had a bowl of white chicken chili for lunch on one of our very cold days with leftover chopped salad.
Dorie and another girlfriend came over on Thursday night and we ordered Brixx from Postmates. (Use code EZ8IN for a free first delivery.) Dorie and I split a pear and gorgonzola pizza (I ate one more piece than what you see here) and a spinach salad.
It is SO nice when your friends come to you so that Finn can have his normal bedtime routine! These are things I said I would never do before actually having a baby. Bedtime is life. Haha.
Help me because I just cannot stop with the turkey sandwiches. I added bacon to a couple of them this week and that was really tasty. (How could it not be?)
I did switch it up one day when I met three of my girlfriends out at YAFO. I love YAFO but I also don’t. I feel like bowls get big and overly complicated there very easily. For example, this one had half an avocado, hummus, spinach, some kind of red cabbage slaw, stuffed grape leaves, babaganoush, feta, beets, a lemon quinoa salad and a cilantro yogurt sauce and they were wondering why I didn’t also want to add protein to it! I realize I’m writing this hot on the heels about my crazy bowl combinations but you can get REALLY crazy at YAFO!
This was FAGE Total 5% plain with mashed sweet potato stirred in. Topped with banana, granola and almond butter.
Half a Dave’s Killer Cinnamon Raisin Bagel with almond butter, honey and banana, two scrambled eggs and a grapefruit (I ate both halves).
Smoothie combo for the week has been frozen bananas, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, cacao nibs, frozen spinach, frozen riced cauliflower, a medjool date, peanut butter, FAGE 5% plain and almond milk.
And as a reminder, these recaps are a general overview of what I eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner and are not a complete look at what I eat in a day. For example, most mornings I snack on several handfuls of granola while I’m making coffee, feeding the dogs and making breakfast for myself and Finn. I always snack on some kind of chip (yesterday it was salt and vinegar, today it was pita chips) while I am prepping lunch. I typically have a bite of something sweet after lunch (yesterday it was two squares of dark chocolate with caramel and sea salt, today it was two Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies). I also have afternoon snacks like my collagen energy bites, kombucha, lots of hot tea, peanut butter filled pretzels, bars when I’m on the go, etc.
The main reason that I share these recent eats posts are to give you guys ideas and inspiration for meals because so many of you have reached out saying how helpful they are! They are not meant to be a “eat like me” or “food diary” kind of thing.
Is there anything you want to see more or less of with the Recent Eats posts?
Do you even like workout recaps? I’ve gone back and forth for years on sharing/not sharing them.
What did you think you’d never do as a parent that you totally do now?
Hi Jen!
I so look forward to your recent eats. It gives me good ideas on adding new dishes to my weekly routations. I would love to see your meals, snacks and treats. Also, what brands of tea do you drink? I love hot tea!
I also like your work our recaps.It’s real and shows us that we move as much or less that our lives allow us to.
Anything you post is always appreciated!
I also like seeing
I love seeing your recent eats posts! I think it’s really easy to get into a food rut and your posts always offer inspiration and look super yummy and creative! Thanks so much for posting them ?
Pre kid me: I’m not using food as a reward.
Me as a mom: whoever cleans up the toys gets a cookie!
Love your blog! I have a 14 month old son and it’s fun to read about you little guy 🙂 I had to comment, because, yes, bedtime is life! I too did not think I would become “that mom” but sleep rules. Finn is adorable and enjoy all those snuggles!
I love your “recent eats” posts, Jen! It is so helpful to me to see good examples of a non-restrictive diet and intuitive eating. (I don’t mean that in a way to put any pressure on you or anything like that!) I appreciate it a ton!
I love seeing your recent eats! It’s given me great inspiration with my own food, as I sometimes feel like I get stuck in a rut eating the same things day-in and day-out. I also love it when you throw in things like cookies, or cake … because it’s real life and you can be fit and healthy and still indulge in those kinds of things.
Hi Jen!
I love your exercises and food posts! I am also a yoga teacher, barre Instructor, runner, and lover of all things fitness. While I am in a healthy place these days, I have a history of disordered eating and exercise addiction. It is helpful for me to see how you balance healthy food with plenty of treats, as well as activity and rest. It’s a constant pendulum in my own life so seeing you regularly have some cake and granting yourself days without working out has helped me feel less anxious doing the same.
Jen, is that a Dave’s Killer Bread with your turkey sandwich as well? And I love your turkey sandwiches! Never stop eating them!
Is there anything you want to see more or less of with the Recent Eats posts? I love when you post recipes, so the more the better. I especially like the summer squash casserole and the chicken + corn + black beans + salsa recipe. I’ve made so many of your recipes and they all turn out great. I also appreciate how honest you are. If you eat a cookie or ice cream, you aren’t afraid to say so. Some bloggers tend to portrait perfection (and who knows, maybe they always eat perfectly?) but it’s nice to see a realistic, balanced approach.
Do you even like workout recaps? I’ve gone back and forth for years on sharing/not sharing them. I love them! I have my own routine and often add in things you do in your recaps. It helps me change things up.
What did you think you’d never do as a parent that you totally do now? I am not a parent! I’ll let you know in five years. Maybe.
Hi Jen,
I read your blog and I am constantly inspired by your strength and your journey into motherhood! I had to comment today, because the constant sandwich craving posts are cracking me up! —-The cravings must stem from breastfeeding? When I was nursing my little one, I needed a sandwich with sauerkraut almost daily! Too weird!
My daughter is now 2 and I’d love to have a workout routine similar to yours sooner or later! Thank you for being so open and sharing so many moments with us!
I love the food recaps – especially when you also share Finn’s portion of your meal. I’ve commented this before, but my daughter is a few weeks younger than Finn so it’s nice to follow along and get new ideas on various foods to try with her. Pre-baby I also told myself we’d never make people come to us…lies! It’s just so much easier and I feel like I can actually relax and not stress over getting home for bedtime!
Dear Jen, I just wanted to thank you for the white chicken chili recipe. I made it this weekend and it was amazing! We had it one day with tortila chips and toppings (guac, sour cream and coriander) and another day with some brown rice and it was one of the best, and definitely the easiest chillies I ever made. In the UK we don’t have canned chilies, so I roasted a couple of green chilies and a green pepper, peeled the skin and diced it, and it worked great. I love your recipes, because they are healthy but super tasty, which is a rare combo! I haven’t been disappointed yet, and I tried a lot of your food.
Sending big hugs to you and your babies, human and furry alike xx
Hi Jen!
Yes to keeping the food and exercise posts coming! As a mom to a little one who’s just a couple weeks younger than Finn, I like to get ideas on ways to spin my meal options because my breakfast cravings, especially, are very similar to yours. You’re just way more creative with what you make! ?
With the exercise, although you’re way more back into it than I am, I have started to dabble here and there. So again just getting to see what you’re incorporating is helpful. Kind of along those lines, I have a question for you. Pre-pregnancy I enjoyed running and would regularly sign up for races around town. Post-pregnancy, I’m still barely back into it, but I’m starting to get there! What I’m noticing though is that I’m battling some joint pain in my knees now. This pain started while I was pregnant (likely due to weight gain) and then it was really bad the first few weeks postpartum, but the pain got better. Until I started running again… I was wondering if you had any tips or tricks to help with joint pain. I am squatting when I can to help build the leg muscles back up but anything else you can send my way would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! ?